The Effects of Co-creation on Citizens' Intentions to Accept Virtual Civil Servants

摘要

Many governments have implemented software agents - virtual civil servants (VCSs) - in order to offer citizens better experiences when they choose the service they require. However, VCSs have not created as many benefits as was originally expected of them, leaving citizens frustrated and dissatisfied. Consequently, effective VCS design has become a critical issue. Grounded on previous research into co-creation, we suggest that citizens would perceive VCSs to be more effective if the agents were to engage them in the co-creation process by interacting directly with them; this would also enable the VCSs to provide services that are more closely aligned with citizens' preferences. Hence, this study will contribute to e-Government literature by explaining how a co-creation policy regarding VCSs' might impact on both citizens' behavior and on their subsequent acceptance of what they have to offer. A key practical implication of our findings, therefore, is that governments may benefit substantially from collating citizens' preferences, while citizens would receive the required services more effectively, thereby engendering a sense of satisfaction toward their governments.